You Are the Moon
by despommes
Summary: Unique. The word's meaning is confused with that of many others. Weird, freakish, strange. Red loves her for being unique. Others won't accept her because she is different.
1. Silver

**Invader Zim and the likes belong to Johnen Vasquez. Not me, I could not construct his genius. However, I own the OC in this story.**

**-X-X-X-**

**Silver**

**-X-X-X-**

Tallest Red sat in his chair, massaging his throbbing temples. He wouldn't have agreed to this stupid tradition if it didn't mean the heir to the throne of the Irken Empire. He had to find a female that he deemed compatible with himself and _start a family._ The phrase seemed so foreign, coming into his mind. He himself thought that he would be a bachelor for his entire life. No one had told him about this tradition when he agreed to become one of the almighty Tallest!

Yes, it is true that most smeets were created in test tubes. But, noble families, including those of the Tallest, had their own young. Red had become the Tallest by pure luck, as he had outgrown his Tallest's son. Purple had done the very same, being the same height as Red. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but it was not common. But being conceived in a test tube had not prepared Red for the role of starting a family. Other Tallests were prepared because they had grown up in one. Red, however, underwent the same training as many other Irkens, without a family.

He'd only been friends with one female his entire life. But, that was a very long time ago, and she was probably serving in the Armada under his command, swearing that she had once been a companion of the great Tallest Red. That she had been, and a wonderful companion and friend at that. Someone you could tell everything to and know she wouldn't tell a soul. But, that was a long time ago and she was probably living a life of her own. And the life of almost every Irken was to serve the Tallest.

"RED!"

Red's headache became worse as his Co-Tallest stormed toward him.

"Where were you?!" Purple shrieked. "I just had to deal with Zim's stupid transmission _by myself!_ And here I find you, relaxing!"

Red zoned out as Purple went about on his ranting. He didn't even look up to see Purple's shocked face as he stood up right in the middle of the lecture to leave and retire to his own personal quarters. His Co-Tallest just stared in disbelief as the red Irken waltzed out of the room. He quickly followed him, though.

"What is your problem?" he asked, catching up with Red.

"I don't want to talk about it," Red practically growled.

"You know you want to," Purple persisted. "Tell me, is it the fact that you have less than one month to find yourself a bride?"

Red stared at him strangely. How come no matter how stupid the reason, Purple could always read his mind. "How could you tell?"

"Because I saw the way you squirmed when the Council told us what we had to do. I thought you were going to throw up after they said it!"

It was true, the very thought of women was enough to make Red nervous. They were so foreign to him, so _alien._ His childhood friend had been quite the tomboy, and many of the women he'd met were so fake and self-obsessed. The exact opposite of _her._

"I'm going for a walk," he told Purple.

"Just try to take your mind off of it. I'm sure it can't be that bad." Purple gave him a small smile before walking back to the transmission room.

Red sighed, walking through the halls. There was one place he could just relax in. And no one would disturb him because that part of the Massive was hardly ever used. The observatory.

As he stared out of the large, crystal clear window, Red began to count the stars. There were billions of them, and he needed something to do in order to relax for a while. The stars flashed and twinkled, shining whitish blues, reds, and oranges. As more and more time passed, he began to give them names. He named the orange ones Astor and the red ones Tuuli. For some reason, he simply could not find a name suitable for the blue ones. They were his favorite out of all the different shades and colors he saw. He could think of no name beautiful enough for them.

Upon hearing the observatory door open, he promptly jumped up to his feet, startled by the sudden noise in his world of quiet. Someone stepped in. Their somewhat tall, slender form had its back faced to Red as they quietly shut the door behind them. As far as Red could tell, they were a female, dressed in elaborate clothing. She must have been of a very high rank. Before Red had time to move out of the way, she swiftly stumbled into him by accident.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," she murmured. When she looked up to see who it was, her mouth hung slightly agape. "My Tallest! I'm – I'm so terribly sorry!"

"It's quite all right," he said softly. "No harm done."

He had quite a hard time saying this, as he could not quit staring at her. She was quite possibly one of the most eye-catching people he had ever met. Her eyes were an icy, stormy blue, almost white. A very rare color. They were accented with a silvery sheen that fit well with her fair, minty green skin. Her antennae were delicately curved and were decorated with small rhinestones of different shades of light blues and whites that matched her clothing. Her figure was incredibly lean, and she was about four inches shorter than Red.

"I should leave, shouldn't I?" she said, giving him a small bow of her head.

"Oh no, I'm just ,well... Loitering, if you could call it that." He attempted a small smile and was rewarded with one from her, which sent a fluttering feeling in his stomach. There was something familiar about that smile. It was like a warm, happy memory of an imaginary friend he'd had as a smeet.

"So, what's your rank?" he asked, trying to strike up a conversation before she turned to leave.

"Well, I guess you could say I'm a tutor for soldiers, if you catch my drift."

"Do tell," Red insisted.

"I'm a private fighting specialist. I teach certain soldiers in the art of physical combat. My values in fighting are speed, agility, and strength. So, you would probably call me a ninja."

Red raised one non-existent eyebrow. She looked entirely too fragile to be a fighter. But, he guessed ninjas were supposed to look that way, to surprise their foes. She certainly did have a lethal air about her.

"So, what's your name?" Red asked.

"My name?" she asked. It's not every day one meets the mighty Tallest Red and is asked their name from him. "My name is Zoe."

"Zoe?" he asked. The name sounded familiar, just as her smile had. It was frustrating him a little, not being able to place where those memories had come from.

"Yes, Zoe," she said, giggling slightly. Red blushed at his small moment, wishing he had not been so clueless.

Red almost jumped out of his skin yet again at the sound of the door opening a second time. A small Irken drone timidly stepped inside. "Lady Zoe, Invader Linn wishes to see you."

Zoe sighed, sad to leave her new friend. When the drone had left, she turned to Red. "You know, I came here to get away from everything else for a bit, and they still manage to find me," she said, laughing slightly.

"We could meet here again if you'd like," Red blurted out, determined to spend more time with her. Zoe smiled.

"I'd like that, My Tallest." She smiled. "I could be back in about three hours, as that's when I usually retire."

"I'll be here then." Red gave her one last smile as she turned to leave. She smiled at him again, and disappeared behind the door.

Red let out a shaky breath. What was it about this Zoe person that made his heart flutter like it did? Just one look into her silvery eyes made his breathing fall short and his legs nearly give out beneath him. And yet, he liked the sensation it gave him. He had enjoyed her company, and it had calmed his restless mind.

**-X-X-X-**

Zoe walked the length of the corridors, her usual mischievous smile on her face. Linn was back! Her best friend, the Invader, was back after nearly a year! She could hardly wait to see her. So much had changed about Zoe in the past year; she doubted she was even recognizable. She had grown quite a bit taller and thinner, due to her new diet and exercise plans. She had just become a sensei when Operation Impending Doom II began.

Linn had been assigned to conquer planet Skorm. Zoe had been especially worried about her, since Skorm was said to be one of the most hostile planets in the Albion Galaxy. The news that she had arrived back to the Massive did away with Zoe's worries.

The docking bay was Zoe's destination. Linn was sure to be watching over the repairs to her ship. She was very fond of her cruiser, as she had upgraded it in many ways of her own. She was quite the mechanic. As Zoe approached the burgundy clad Invader. Linn had her back turned to her. And, as Zoe did not like being ignored, she had to surprise her friend somehow.

And that's when she decided to kick her in the ass.

"How dare you kick me, you—Zoe!" Linn jumped at her friend, knocking the both of them down. "Look at you! You're so beautiful!"

"You've been gone for too long!" Zoe said, hugging her best friend.

"You have got to tell me about everything that's happened here!" Linn said, standing up. Zoe got back to her feet swiftly.

"First you have to tell me about Skorm." The two Irkenesses began the walk to the mess hall. "How was the invasion?"

"There was a little trouble at first," Linn explained. "You know. My disguise, the base, LEY's disguise, trying to fit in. Did you know that the people of Skorm eat nothing but vegetables? No candy, no chips, no nothing! It was simply unbearable!" She shuddered. "But, after the first month or so every thing went smoothly."

Honestly, the sound of nothing but vegetables didn't sound all that bad to Zoe. Although, there was no way she could live without her gingersnaps. Oh, how she loved her gingersnaps.

"Sounds like a nightmare," Zoe said. There was a slight dose of sarcasm in her voice, but Linn didn't seem to give it any mind.

"So, how has the little ninja been lately?" Linn asked.

"Busy. Very busy." Zoe opened a package of gingersnaps as soon as she sat down. Although she was considered a true lady, she did not allow etiquette to interfere with her favorite cookies. She ate about five of the thin wafers in a single mouthful. "You'll never guess who I ran into today, though."

"Oh, tell me!" Linn said eagerly.

"Well, I was tired of doing rubrics. The work was getting to my head and I needed to relax. So, I thought I'd go to the Observatory to chill out for a bit. When I got there, lo and behold, Tallest Red is standing there, looking at me!"

Linn's jaw dropped. "You... You ran into Tallest Red?" Zoe nodded.

"He asked me my rank. I told him that my name was Zoe and that I train soldiers in the art of physical combat. And then he asked me to meet him again! I'm leaving to see him in about two and a half hours."

Linn's eyes lit up. "Zoe, do you know what this means?!" she said. Zoe shook her head. "He interested in you!"

"Well of course, if he wants to see me again, then he must think I'm interesting—,"

"No, I mean he's _interested_ in you!" Linn clapped her hands together joyfully, a giddy smile on her face.

"You're mad!" Zoe said. "He's the Tallest! The _Tallest_, Linn! I'm just a sensei, there's no way he's interested in me!"

"Zoe, have you looked in the mirror lately?" Linn asked. "You're beautiful! All you have to do is walk up to a male and say hello, and then you've got him following you around like a SIR unit! Of course he would be interested in you!"

Zoe crossed her arms and pouted. She didn't think she was beautiful. Then again, she really didn't notice or care about her appearance. Work was more important.

"And you do know that he has to find a bride, don't you?" Linn said, a devious look on her face.

"Yes, I do know that."

"And do you like him?"

"Well, he seems nice, but–,"

"Then get to know him! Zoe, do you know how many females would kill to be in your situation? I mean, you're freaking gorgeous, you're of a good rank, and you've got Tallest Red chasing after you! I suggest that you nip this opportunity in the ass and go for it."

Zoe sighed. "I'm going to see him in about two hours. I'm just going to be myself, and if he likes me, then he can decide what he wants to do next. I'm not going to play temptress and have him wrapped around my finger."

"I'm not saying you have to! This is just a good break for you, and you need to take advantage of it." Linn nodded as if she were agreeing with herself.

"I'll think about it." With that, Zoe stood up. "I'm going to finish my rubrics. I'll stop by your quarters after I meet him to tell you how it went. That sound all right?"

"Sure does, sweetheart," Linn said, opening a bag of chips. Zoe laughed and bade her friend goodbye.

Walking back to her quarters, Zoe felt butterflies rise up into her chest. She took a deep breath. She was only meeting the Tallest Red? Nothing to be nervous about, right?

**-X-X-X-**

**Reviews, messages, constructive criticism, and the likes are all welcome and appreciated. Flamings, however, will be returned with statements and angry words that will make you cry. Thanks for reading, my loves!**


	2. Periwinkle

**Okay, I am in an **_**extremely **_**bad mood and probably will be for a very long time. So, if you would like to save yourself the pain and sadness of a terribly nasty message from me, you will not ever mention the phrase "Mary Sue" to me ever again. EVER. I don't give a fuck if you've got something against romance stories, you don't have to send hatemail about every damn one you see. I've written romance for a very long time and I consider myself to be a specialist in that particular genre, seeing as some of my Ville Valo stories on other sites have been so moving people cry over them. So I do, in fact, know what I'm doing and I'd advise you not to piss me off and send me flames. You do, and you'll regret it horribly.**

**-X-X-X-**

**Periwinkle**

**-X-X-X-**

"Zoe?" Purple asked. Red nodded.

"She's a physical combat trainer for soldiers. A sensei."

"Ah yes! I remember her." Purple's eyes lit up in memory. "She was the only female to pass the training in her generation. I don't understand why she wanted to be a fighting specialist though. She could've been so many other things, with how beautiful she was." Red cleared his throat in annoyance, glaring at Purple. "What?" his violet Co-Ruler said. "You have to admit, she's a very pretty girl."

Red rolled his eyes. "Be that as it may, that's not the reason I'm meeting up with her again. She actually is a very nice person to be with."

"Maybe you should take her as a bride," Purple suggested. Red glared daggers at him. "What?" his colleague said. "It's not like she could say no! You're the Tallest for Irk's sake. What you say is law."

"But that's not fair. What if she doesn't want to?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Purple asked. "You're the Tallest! And you're handsome, if you don't mind my saying so."

"Yes, that does sound a little strange, coming from you," Red said. He stood up. "Well, I'm meeting her in a few minutes. Take care of my reports for me, will you?"

"Maybe," Purple said, leaning back in his chair and sipping his soda. "If I feel generous enough."

Red rolled his eyes and left the transmission room. Maybe spending time with Zoe would take his mind off of work.

Red had decided that he would take Zoe for a walk. She was probably already in the Observatory, seeing as how his conversation with Purple had taken a little longer than he had expected. When he opened the door, he saw Zoe's tall, slender form silhouetting in the starlight from the outside. She was no longer dressed in her normal light blue and white long robes, but a long sleeved dress of icy blue that reached to her knees. They must have been her casual clothes.

"Good day, my Tallest," she said, her voice soft and gentle. A smile graced her lips, and Red had to swallow the crack in his voice.

"And how are you, Madam Zoe?"

"Well, I'm simply fine," she replied. "And you?"

"More or less the same as you." Red motioned towards the door. "I was wondering if you would join me for a walk through the corridors."

Zoe smiled her gentle smile. "That sounds lovely."

**-X-X-X-**

"Tallest Purple sounds like quite the character," Zoe said, a slight giggle in her voice.

"Linn herself sounds like quite a box of fun."

"Um, sure. You could say that." Zoe laughed.

Linn was probably, without doubt, staring at the door to her quarters, waiting for Zoe to open it with details of her "date" with the Tallest, as Linn had called it.

"It's getting late, my Tallest," Zoe stated.

"Please, call me Red. We know each other well enough now, don't we?"

"I suppose that is true," Zoe reasoned, feeling slightly uncomfortable with calling the leader of her Empire such an informal title. But, if it was what he asked for...

"So, where are your quarters?" Red asked her.

"Oh, I was going to see Linn after we said goodbye," Zoe explained. "We still have a lot of catching up to do since she left for Skorm."

"I see." Red nodded. "Well, I was wondering if I could walk you there."

Zoe's glittering eyes lit up. "I'd be honored, my Tall– I mean, Red. Do you need me to show you the way?"

"No, that's all right. Just tell me her chamber number and I'll get it from there."

As Zoe walked back down the corridors with him, she felt a tingling sensation in her chest. What it was, she did not know, but she liked it.

Linn's room lingered up ahead. The door was shut, but Zoe knew well enough that Linn was probably sitting behind it, her ear against the door's surface.

"So," Red, sighed. "Would you like to meet again somewhere?"

"I don't know if I'll have time tomorrow," Zoe said sadly. "I've got so much work to do. New trainees showed up yesterday, and they have no idea what to do. I'll probably be staying very late at the gym."

"Oh," Red said, disappointed. "Well, maybe some other time, then? I'll send someone with a message."

"That sounds like a plan." Zoe smiled.

In that moment, she was more beautiful than anything Red had ever seen. And he had seen quite a lot of things in his time. Her icy blue eyes glittered in the dim light of the hallway. Her skin was fairer than that of many other Irkens, and she appeared delicate and fragile. But Red knew better. However, he loved it.

He couldn't stop himself. Impulsively, he bent down, gently brushing his lips against hers. She didn't pull back, and he felt her eyelashes brush against his skin as her eyes closed. When they broke apart, a silver tinge was upon her cheeks. He could feel heat rising into his own cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking–,"

"No, it's fine," Zoe said. Standing on tiptoe, she gently pecked his cheek with her lips. Red was sure his knees would've buckled beneath him at that very moment if she hadn't been right in front of him.

"So... I'll see you sometime soon?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes," she said, a soft smile on the lips he had just kissed. "Soon." With one last smile in his direction, she disappeared behind the door.

At once, Red leaned against the wall, certain that he could support himself no longer. No one else had ever made him feel like this. No one. He loved the weak feeling Zoe's lips had given him. He wanted, no, _needed,_ to see her again.

Just as Zoe had suspected, Linn rushed to her the moment the door had begun to open.

"So, how did it go?" she asked. "Details, woman, I need details! Did he drop any hints, look you up and down, ask you to marry him?"

Zoe looked at her friend, a dreamy look on her face. "He kissed me," she murmured.

"What?!"

"He kissed me," she repeated. "Tallest Red kissed me. And I kissed him back."

And with that, the mighty Madam Zoe fainted on the spot.

**-X-X-X-**

"No!" Zoe scolded. "No, no, no! That's all wrong, Fex! Balance your weight more to the left, and then kick. It'll make it easier for you to kick higher."

Zoe massaged her temples. New trainees were a nightmare. Not only did they not have the slightest idea of what they were doing, one of them was giving her lip. And if there was one thing Zoe could not stand, it was someone who did not know respect.

"You know what, just forget about individual inspections. Start your drills." The trainees groaned. "Come on! Get to it!"

Zoe's assistant, Martz, would overlook the trainees' drills. Zoe stepped into her office, searching for her headache medication. She could feel a migraine on its way and she didn't have time for it. Her bottle of green citrus tea was never far from her reach, and in one swig she had swallowed the tiny green pills.

A figure in the doorway attracted her attention. "Martz, if Jag is causing more trouble give him suicides to do—my Tallest!"

Zoe fell backwards catching her desk on the way down. Tallest Red gave her an amused look before leaning down to help her up.

"Did I come at a bad time?" he asked, laughing slightly as he pulled Zoe to her feet.

"Oh, no," she said, trying to seem cheerful. "Just working. Earns me my rations." She fixed the few papers that had flown off of her desk during her small flight. "So, what brings you to my office?"

"Oh, just stopping by. I wasn't busy so I decided to pay a visit." Red smiled at her. Zoe smiled back, remembering the events of the night before.

In the few seconds Zoe and Red had been gazing at each other, she noticed that her pupils were no longer doing drills, and Martz was no longer giving instructions. In fact, both students and their second instructor were staring at their teacher and their Tallest.

"Um," Zoe murmured. "What are you looking at? Back to your drills!" At once the trainees continued to kick and punch at the pads on their partners' hands and knees. Zoe cleared her throat. She had felt more like saying "Do you mind?!" but had somehow refrained from doing so.

"I was wondering," Red said, turning around to face her better. "Would you like to join me for a drink later tonight? In the High Lounge?"

Zoe smiled, the small blush on his face making her do so. "I'd love to," she answered. Red's face lit up.

"Great! When would you like to meet?"

"How about an hour after retirement?" Zoe suggested.

"Sounds perfect." Red smiled dreamily at her. Without thinking, he bent down and kissed her. Zoe felt the heat once again rise to her face, but managed to remain standing up. Red kissed her cheek before pulling his face away from hers. He gave her a small wave before turning to leave.

Zoe managed to walk back into her office before collapsing into her chair. Okay, they had gone from walking around the corridors to going out for drinks. Linn was sure to have an aneurism once she managed to worm the details out of Zoe. Zoe wasn't much of a drinker, but she knew liquor. And she was quite fond of the strong kind.

**-X-X-X-**

"Drinks?! In the High Lounge! Oh my Irk, Zoe, the guy's in love with you!"

"Oh, Linn!" Zoe muttered, throwing a long periwinkle dress onto her bed. "You don't know that!"

"He freaking kissed you in front of your martial arts class! He's got a thing for you! A _big _thing!"

Zoe threw a shoe at Linn, who skillfully dodged it before it had a chance to collide with her head. "Are you going to help me find something to wear, or are you going to sit there and imagine how cute you think our kids would look?"

"You know that doesn't sound like a bad idea." Zoe growled slightly. "Fine!" Linn huffed. "Where's that dress you wore to the Invaders' Ball?"

"That thing?" Zoe asked, unsure of the idea.

"Yes, where is it?"

"Right here." Zoe threw Linn a dress-bag. Linn hurriedly unzipped it, pulling out the silken gown. There were beautiful flowing, crystalline blue designs all over the dress, which was a dazzling off-white.

"Put this on," Linn told her. Zoe made a reluctant noise.

"But I don't like it," Zoe said.

"Well then why did you get it?"

"Because you forced me to wear it!" Zoe argued.

"Oh yeah," Linn remembered. "Just put it on."

Zoe glared at her friend before walking into her bathroom. The dress fit over her slender body like a glove. She had to adjust the top so it wouldn't reveal so much. The breeze on her usually covered arms and shoulders made her shiver slightly. She walked back into her bedroom, preparing herself for Linn's comments.

"Holy Irk, you never would've known it! You have _boobs!_"

Zoe glared daggers at Linn. "Shut up, Linn. Before I stab your eyes out."

Linn rolled her eyes. She handed Zoe a pair of periwinkle boots and pulled Zoe's face to her height. "You need makeup," she said opening a bag. She coated Zoe's eyelashes in sparkly blue mascara with eye-shadow to match. "There! Now you look like a girl."

Zoe rolled her eyes at Linn's comment. "I'm leaving now. You can play video games or something, just don't break anything. There's some food in the kitchen, but don't eat all of it."

"Yeah yeah, goodbye gorgeous!" Linn shoved Zoe out of her apartments. With a huff, Zoe started the walk to the High Lounge.

The High Lounge was one of the most luxurious parts of the Massive. Many nobles and people of high rank relaxed there, but it was practically empty this night. Three other Irkens sat on the overstuffed chairs by the television. They seemed too involved in their conversation to notice Zoe as she walked in.

Red walked towards her. "You... You look beautiful," he murmured. Zoe felt herself blushing.

"Thank you." Red held his hand out to her and she took it, allowing him to lead her to the bar.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked. Red looked at her.

"Vortian black martini."

"My usual, Rip."

Rip turned around and began to work on Zoe's martini. . Zoe had never been much a drinker, but she knew what she liked. And it was a Vortian black martini. Vortian vodka was one of the strongest vodkas that the Irken Empire possessed, and it was joined by iltja, a chocolaty form of liquor that wasn't exactly strong, but with Vortian vodka could make a SIR unit short-circuit. But Zoe loved them.

As soon the two were handed their drinks, they began talking. Red asked Zoe about her job, she asked him about being the Tallest. Red asked her about Linn, Zoe asked him about Purple. They talked about their younger days. As the evening went on, Zoe had another martini. And, these drinks being as strong as they were, made her a small bit tipsy. And when Zoe got tipsy, she knew it.

"That's my last," she said, handing the empty glass to Rip. "I'm drunk as it is." She gave a small hiccup and covered her mouth, an embarrassed look veiling her pretty features.

"I'd better stop as well." Red pushed his cocktail towards Rip and helped Zoe to her feet. She nearly fell over where she stood. "I think it would be best if stayed in my apartments tonight," Red offered.

"You're probably right," Zoe agreed, swaying slightly. "I can barely stand up!"

Red smiled. Nearly carrying Zoe, he tried to pay for their drinks, but Rip refused, giving him a wink and looking at Zoe. Red gave him a quizzical look before turning and leaving the lounge.

The walk to Red's apartments proved to be a shorter one than that to Zoe's quarters. It took less than five minutes to reach their destination. He set Zoe on the sofa.

"Wait there, I'll be back in a moment." Zoe watched him leave into another room. Red changed into some more comfortable clothes. When he returned to the front room, he found Zoe lying on the sofa, her head in her arms and a soft smile on her lips.

"I only have one bed," he told her. "I hope you don't mind."

"Don't worry," she said. There was a slight chuckle in her voice. "I've slept in the same bed as Linn before, so I've been punched, kicked, and bitten so much in my sleep that hardly anything bothers me at night anymore."

Red laughed. "Well, why don't you go on ahead and I'll be there in a minute."

Zoe stood up and carefully walked into the direction he was pointing to. Once she saw the large, red and black adorned bed, a feeling of relief came over her. After a day of hard work and stress, it was a treat to even _see _something that looked so comfortable.

When Red returned to his bedroom, Zoe was curled up on the bed, hugging a pillow. She was fast asleep. As gently as he could, Red lifted the blanket up over her and slipped under it as well. But. even with his efforts, the movement woke her up. She turned to face him.

"Tired?" he asked. She nodded miserably. Instinctively, he folded her up in his arms, kissing her forehead. She rested her head against his chest. Almost as quickly as she had woken up, Zoe fell asleep again.

Red turned the bedside lamp off and fixed the pillows around them. Zoe only stirred, making a whimpering noise when he moved farther away from her, but Red held her closer to him, and she once again slept peacefully.

The darkness around them was comforting. It calmed Red and made him feel relaxed, like he was in his own world with Zoe that no one could interrupt. He held her close to him, feeling the gentle warmth of he slender body. He kissed her lips and forehead. There was no doubt about it. He was in love with this girl. Everything about her made him happy. The way she talked, the way she smiled, the way she blinked was enough to make his knees weak! And he loved the way it felt. At that moment, he was at peace with everything. And this angel had brought that peace with her.

**-X-X-X-**

**Please rate and review, darlings! I worked so hard on this!**


	3. Wine Red

**I'm very disappointed with the number of reviews I'm getting. So far, over one hundred people have read my story and I only have two reviews. Come on, guys, I work really hard on these! Just a little feedback is all I ask for.**

**-X-X-X-**

**Wine Red**

**-X-X-X-**

"You didn't come back to your quarters last night," Linn said, smirking. Zoe rolled her eyes.

"How would you know?"

"Because I was sleeping on your bed, and if you came in like you were supposed to you would've kicked me out of your house to go to bed. So, how's your hangover?"

"Not any better with that high pitched voice of yours," Zoe muttered. Linn grinned evilly.

"So if I talk fairly loudly by your antennae like I am now, it would hurt your pretty little head even worse?!" she practically yelled. Zoe groaned and pushed her fairly hard, clutching her head. "Vortian black martinis?" Linn guessed.

"You know me," Zoe replied with a smirk on her face. Linn shook her head.

"Date with Tallest Red, hard liquor, you not coming home last night," Linn teased. "I'm putting one and one together, you know."

"Oh will you get your mind out of the gutter!" Zoe laughed. "We didn't do anything! What do you think I am, some kind of tramp?"

"Oh, if only you were," Linn joked. Zoe laughed with her. But Linn's face suddenly grew serious. "Did he ask you to marry him?" she mused.

"What? No!" Zoe nearly snapped. Her smile disappeared and her eyes fell to the ground. "Why would you ask that?" she said quietly.

"Because... I have this weird feeling that things are going to change."

"For better or for worse?" Zoe asked her. Linn bit her lip.

"I don't know. But soon, things won't ever be the same."

Linn had this special gift of sometimes predicting the future. She got this feeling whenever something was about to happen, and she was never wrong. It scared Zoe. "Linn?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"What if he does ask me?"

Linn smiled softly, her wine red eyes soft. "Well then I'll be right, won't I?"

**-X-X-X-**

"Um, Red?" Purple asked. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"What is it?" Red replied, looking at his brother. He seemed nervous.

"Um, I passed the Council's meeting. They said something concerning you, so I stayed to overhear."

"Was it good or bad?"

"Uh… Bad."

Red's gaze turned to stone. "What did they say, Purple?"

"It's about Zoe."

"What about her?" he asked, standing up.

"It's about your relationship with her. The council doesn't approve of it. They say she's not right to bear the children of the Tallest."

"Why not? Is something wrong with her?"

"It's her appearance, Red." Purple sighed. "They said that she was too unordinary. Never in the history of the Irken race has there been a smeet created with eyes like hers."

"That's ridiculous!" Red bellowed. "Her appearance has nothing to do with it!"

"They think she's a defect, Red," Purple said calmly. "Council doesn't want you to marry her because if you had children together, they might be defective if you had a daughter. You know how our genetics work; females take after the mother and males after the father. You will only be allowed to bear one child and if it's a defect, then the Irken race might be in jeopardy."

"You've got to be kidding me! Just because Zoe's eye color is different doesn't mean that she's a defect! She's perfectly fine!"

"I don't believe it either. Something tells me they just don't like the thought of a female in such a high rank."

Red growled. "I don't care what Council thinks. I'll marry her if I choose to, and there won't be anything they can do about it."

"So you are going to ask her!" Purple exclaimed. He smiled. Red's face showed fear.

"I never said that."

"Yeah you did!"

"No! I said if I _choose to!_"

"Yeah, whatever. You better hurry up and ask her, before Council gets their opinion out." Red sighed, his head in his hand. Purple looked at him expectantly. "That means now."

"Oh!" Red yelled, jumping up from his seat. He ran from the room to Zoe's quarters, hoping with all of his heart that she was there. He had no symbol of promise to give her, but he would find something. It would be beautiful, too. She didn't deserve anything less.

Her quarters were right in front of him. Red knocked on the door desperately. He let out a breath that he was unknowingly holding when he hear a soft "Just a minute!"

"Red!" Zoe said upon opening the door, her eyes slightly wide. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I have to talk to you," Red answered. "It's really important."

"Come inside." She wore a long, flowing lavender nightgown and the usual rhinestones in her antennae were not in their place. It must have been quite late. Zoe sat down on her sofa, gesturing for Red to do the same. He sat next to her, taking her hand in his.

"I have bad news."

"Bad news?" Zoe asked. "What kind of bad news?"

"The council doesn't want us to be together." Red swallowed the lump in his throat. "They say that you might be a defect. But I know you're not. They're just uncomfortable with a female being of such a high rank."

"A defect?" Zoe's face turned slightly angry. "Why would they think I was a defect?!"

"It's your eye color. No other Irken in history has ever had eyes like yours. And the council thinks you may be a defect because of it."

"Well that's just stupid!" she yelled. "I've never heard such nonsense in my life!"

"I know. And I'm not going to let them tell me that I can't be with you. Zoe, I love you." Red stared into her icy blue eyes. Sincerity was practically carved into his face, and his hands clutched Zoe's. "If I can't be with you, I don't want to be with anyone else. The only way I can have you is if we beat them to the punch and declare engagement." Zoe's eyes went round and Red could feel her palms start to sweat. "I won't ask you if you won't have me. So, I'll ask you this question. Do you want to be with me?"

"Yes." Zoe's answer came as soon as Red got his last few words out of his mouth. She answered quickly, as if she has known her reply all along. "All I used to think about was work. I ate, slept, and breathed training. But when I met you, work wasn't all I thought about. I thought about the minutes until I met up with Red again. I thought about the funny, witty things he said to me. I missed him when I wasn't near him. So, I think I love you too." Red could see that Zoe was shaking slightly. "I've never said that to anyone else in my entire life, Red. I've never felt this kind of love, all I know is that it feels right. And that's all I need."

Red kissed her. Zoe's arms went around his neck and his arms around her torso. When they separated, she hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. Red took her hand, looking her straight in the eye. "Zoe," he began. She looked at him eagerly, her eyes soft and sincere. "Would you marry me?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "I will." She smiled, her shaking stopped. Red embraced her with a large grin on his face.

"I'll have a necklace made for you," he whispered. "It will be beautiful and precious. Just like someone I know." He heard Zoe sigh happily. She laid her head on his chest, her eyes closed tranquilly. It occurred to Red that he had awoken her in the very early morning. She must have been sleeping when he got there. Careful not to wake her, Red spread Zoe and himself along the length of the couch with her in his arms. Her gentle, light breathing lulled him to sleep that night.

**-X-X-X-**

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